Manulife and John Hancock are investing more than $3.5 million over the next two years to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and the communities they serve, say the companies.

The goals of these focused investments are to increase the representation of diverse talent at all levels in the organization, create greater inclusion across the company through enhanced training and to support organizations helping Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities.

Taking action

"We recognize that driving change means taking action, which is why we are making these important investments in building greater diversity on our team, and a deeper awareness of the role we can all play in being an ally and supporter of inclusion," said Manulife president and CEO Roy Gori.

"Through candid discussions with our team, we've developed this plan based on their feedback, focusing on areas they see as the most critical levers to helping us create long-lasting change."

Program has three pillars

This comprehensive program covers three pillars of initiatives: 

1. Building representation of BIPOC professionals through graduate programs, focused leadership recruitment efforts and accelerated mid-career development.

2. Programs designed to educate and train all employees. This will encompass regular listening forums to foster conversations that will enable building a greater understanding of inclusion and connection across our global team, training and targeted training for all managers on leading inclusively.

3. Supporting communities through donations and volunteerism focused on financial education and career mentorship.